Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 8.11
The adjusted timing
of the bounce
Squash and Stretch
The concept of
squash and stretch
has been an animation staple for as long as there has
been animation. It's a way to convey the weight of an object by deforming it to react (usu-
ally in an exaggerated way) to gravity and motion.
In Maya, you use the Scale tool to squash and stretch your object—in this case, your
ball, using only the scale node, not the sphere or translate node.
Load the file
ball_v02.mb
from the Bouncing_Ball project on the CD, and follow these
steps:
1. Select the scale node, and select Modify
➔
Center Pivot. This places the scale pivot
point in the middle of the ball.
2. At frame 9, press R to set initial scale keyframes on the scale node of the ball, a cou-
ple of frames before the ball impacts the ground.
3. To initiate squash and stretch, go to frame 12, where the ball hits the f floor the first
time. With the scale node selected, press R to open the Scale tool; scale the ball down
in the
Y
-axis until it no longer goes through the f floor (about 0.6), as shown in the
image on the left in Figure 8.12. Set a keyframe for scale by pressing Shift+R.
Figure 8.12
Squashing and
Stretching the ball
to react to bouncing
on the floor
